Method of manufacturing a fabric article to include electronic circuitry and an electrically active textile article

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a fabric article to include electronic circuitry in which a flex circuit is assembled to include conductive traces and pads on a flexible substrate, a fabric article is placed on a rigid surface, and the substrate of the flex circuit is secured to the fabric article. Also disclosed is a fabric article which includes electronic circuitry and an electrically active textile article.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a fabric article to include electronic circuitry, the method comprising: 
       assembling a circuit to include traces and pads on a substrate;  
       placing a fabric article on a surface; and  
       securing the substrate of the circuit to the fabric article.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  in which the circuit is a flex circuit and the substrate is selected from the group consisting of flexible thermoplastic, thermoset, or solution cast materials. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  in which the traces and pads are electrically conductive. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  in which the conductive traces and pads are metal foil laminated to the substrate, metal film deposited on the substrate, or a conductive polymer on the substrate. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  in which securing includes employing an ultrasonic device to weld the substrate to the fabric. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  in which said ultrasonic device is a handheld ultrasonic horn. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  in which said surface is a stainless steel plate. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  in which securing includes employing a radio frequency or thermal lamination process. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  in which securing includes employing an adhesive to fix the substrate on the fabric. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  in which securing includes sewing the substrate to the fabric. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  in which sewing includes stitching an additional layer of material between the substrate and the fabric. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  in which securing includes attaching the substrate to the fabric with at least one plated through hole. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1  further including securing a protective covering over the circuit. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  in which the protective covering is waterproof. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  in which the protective covering extends onto the fabric. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1  further including populating the circuit with electronic components before the substrate is secured to the fabric. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1  further including populating the circuit with electronic components after the substrate is secured to the fabric. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1  in which the flexible substrate is a thermoplastic material and the traces and pads are metal. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1  in which the fabric is selected from the group consisting of woven, knit, non-woven, and braided fabrics. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  in which the fabric is a portion of a wearable article. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1  further including the step of forming stress relief areas in the circuit to promote flexure of the circuit. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21  in which the stress relief areas are cut-outs in edges of the substrate. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21  in which the stress relief areas are cut-outs through the substrate. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 21  in which the stress relief areas include material added to the substrate. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 21  in which the stress relief areas are located between electronic components on the circuit. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 21  in which the stress relief areas include at least one dimple formed on the circuit. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26  in which the at least one dimple is formed using an ultrasonic device. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 26  in which the at least one dimple is formed using a radio frequency device. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 26  in which the at least one dimple is located between electronic components on the circuit. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 1  further including securing another circuit to the fabric and electrically interconnecting the two circuits. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 26  in which securing and electrically interconnecting the two circuits includes employing at least one zipper having a plurality teeth, a portion of the plurality of teeth being electrically conductive. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 26  in which securing and electrically interconnecting the two circuits includes employing at least one pair of VELCRO® patches with at least a portion of the patches being electrically conductive. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 30  in which the circuits include conductive solder pads and the fabric includes electrical traces, the conductive solder pads being bonded to the electrical traces to electrically interconnect the two circuits. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 1  in which the substrate includes a perimeter bond area devoid of traces and pads and the step of securing includes fixing the perimeter bond area of the substrate to the fabric. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 1  further including peripheral reinforcement for securing the periphery of the substrate to the fabric. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 1  further including adding a graphic to the fabric article. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 1  further including disposing a compliant layer between the substrate and the fabric article. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 32  in which the complaint layer includes at least one pocket therein and the circuit includes an electronic component received in the pocket in the compliant layer. 
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 1  in which the substrate is folded over before it is secured to the fabric article. 
     
     
       40. A method of manufacturing a fabric article to include electronic circuitry, the method comprising: 
       assembling a flex circuit to include conductive traces and pads on a flexible substrate;  
       placing a fabric article on a surface;  
       securing the substrate of the flex circuit to the fabric article;  
       populating the flex circuit with electronic components; and  
       securing a protective covering over the flex circuit and the electronic components.  
     
     
       41. A method of manufacturing a clothing article to include electronic circuitry, the method comprising: 
       assembling a flex circuit to include conductive traces and pads on a flexible substrate;  
       placing an article of clothing on a surface;  
       securing the substrate of the flex circuit to the article of clothing;  
       populating the flex circuit with electronic components; and  
       securing a protective covering over the flex circuit and the electronic components.  
     
     
       42. A method of manufacturing a clothing article with at least upper and lower layers of fabric material to include electronic circuitry, the method comprising: 
       assembling a flexible circuit to include traces and pads on a substrate;  
       placing a rigid support surface between the layers of fabric material, the rigid support surface comprising a stainless steel plate; and  
       securing the substrate to the upper fabric layer of the clothing article using a hand held ultrasonic horn to bond the substrate to the upper layer of the clothing article.  
     
     
       43. A method of manufacturing a fabric article to include electronic circuitry, the method comprising: 
       assembling a flexible circuit to include traces and pads on a substrate;  
       placing the substrate between the fabric article and a covering; and  
       securing the covering to the fabric article such that the flexible circuit is in pressing engagement with the fabric article and the covering.  
     
     
       44. A method of manufacturing a fabric article to include electronic circuitry, the method comprising: 
       assembling a flexible circuit to include traces and pads on a substrate;  
       forming a pocket on the fabric article by securing a covering to the fabric article such that at least one edge of the covering is unattached to the fabric article;  
       placing the substrate into the pocket; and  
       bonding the at least one edge of the covering to the fabric article such that the flexible circuit is in pressing engagement with the fabric article and the covering.